Audio Attachment:Listen to Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh |
Minister of Education, Mathew Opoku-Prempeh has fired salvoes at former President John Dramani Mahama.
The former President on Saturday criticised the Akufo-Addo led government for implementing a broad Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in haste.
He urged government to call for a stakeholders meeting to address challenges facing the Free SHS policy because it is stifling other developmental projects.
“The problem this government is facing and it is in their own interest, is that, Free Senior High School is absorbing all the fiscal space they have and so almost every money you have, you are having to put it into Free Senior High School. So you can’t pay District Assemblies Common Fund, you can’t pay NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme), you can’t pay GETFund (Ghana Education Trust Fund), you can’t pay other salaries and things because all your money is going into Free Senior High School,” Mahama said this weekend, during the Unity Walk organised by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Somanya in the Eastern region.
But interacting with Kwami Sefa-Kayi in an exclusive interview on Peace FM's morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ Monday, the Education Minister sharply disagreed with the former President.
According to him, “if he wishes us bad, it will fall back on him…what does he want us to call a stakeholders meeting for?”
“While in office, he never bought one text for any school. Ask him where his policy document or guideline for his progressive free SHS is?.…there was nothing like that. You were not able to do it in your time and now that we have implemented it, you are complaining…he should tell NDC members not to take their children to school to enjoy the free SHS because it is not good…” he added.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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Until we learn to answer questions directly, Ghana will be where we are. We all know that we have a problem with funding of the Free SHS and we sacrificed the headmaster of La Presec for soliciting for coins to repair the furniture for the school. Ex President Mahama is just calling for a stakeholders meeting to discuss the funding. With this one too, you are peeved, Dr. Education Minister. Are you beyond criticism and advice? Eiiii, my education SERVANT!
THE PEOPLE OF GHANA WILL BE THE JUDGE COME 2020. IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS PROMISED AND WHAT IS DONE, THERE IS A PROBLEM. BUT IF WHAT IS SAID AND WHAT IS DONE MATCHES, THEN WE HAVE NO PROBLEM. THE CHILDREN, THE PARENTS, THE EDUCATORS, AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE BEHOLDING WHAT IS UNFOLDING. GHANA HAS TEN MORE MONTHS TO EXPERIENCE THE SYSTEM IN PLACE IN 2018. ANY DECISION MADE IN 2020 WILL BE AN EDUCATED DECISION. THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT IS LEARNING THE TRUTH ON THE GROUND. THEY HAVE 10 MONTHS IN 2018 TO PROVE THEMSELVES. PRAY HARD. PATIENCE. PEACE.
Look who is talking. which of the statutory payments he is talking about was he able to fully pay before leaving office? As the minister said, I prefer my child sit in the dust and school than selling by the road side. school has made us what we are. Free shs now, is the best of all.
JOHN MAHAMA CALL IS A CALL IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND I CANNOT COMPREHEND THE SALVOS AT HIM. WHAT A COUNTRY WHEN YOUR POLITICAL OPPONENT SAYS SOMETHING EVEN IF IT IS A GOOD CALL SHOULD BE INSULTED LIKE THIS. IF THIS CHILD EDUCATION MINISTER CALL THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE SHS A SUCCESS, THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM AT HAND. IF ONE GO ROUND SOME OF THE SCHOOLS AND U SEE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE STUDENTS LIVE, U WILL CRY. THE GOVT RELEASED ONLY 20% OF WHAT THE SCHOOLS REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST TERM. THE SCHOOLS HAD TO USE THE CONTINUING STUDENTS FOOD TO FEED THE FIRST YEARS THROUGH OUT THE TERM. SO, U CALL THIS SUCCESS AS A MINISTER OF EDUCATION. THE LEVEL OF PARTISANSHIP WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE NATIONAL INTEREST IS TOO MUCH. AS A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TUTOR, WE ARE PATIENTLY WAITING TO SEE HOW THINGS WILL UNFOLD IF THE NEXT BATCH COMES. THE FREE IS A GOOD POLICY, BUT TRULY THE IMPLEMENTATION WAS RUSHED AND IS A COMPLETE FAILURE.
Mr minister n.you said it all it's envy because he could not do it
Martyrs of Uganda JHS charge school fees paa here in Kumasi. Napo come and see for yourself. Ask the students for verification.The head teacher is Akansisi.
Mahama, you did not implement free SHS, yet you were not paying all these things you are mentioning. You are becoming irrelevant in Ghana, because it appears you are now talking like a serial caller who does not understand what governance is. Sad that you were once a president of this country.
The SHS might be struggling because of the debts and corruption under John Ford Mahama where a lot of our money is stolen..... Remember Mahama and some of his appointees enjoyed free education at the north.... What is wrong if the whole nation enjoy it.....
i am confused , those parent whose children are enjoying the free SHS should come around and tell us if they have any problems because some are crying more than the bereaved.
It is rather unfortunate the Minister did not address issue raised by former president Mahama. Is the nation struggling in funding free SHS or not?